Noodles

Not sleeping all night and only absorbing a bowl of instant noodles is the perfect combination to make me collapse any time. At 11:30 when we entered the break, I decided to take a short nap. Luckily the gallery visitors are quite quiet. I fell asleep several times and ignored their questions about the paintings.

“Sorry..., I'm really sleepy” Instead of getting sympathy, a friend actually threw tissue balls at me.

“Really spoiled, like a girl!”

“I'm a real boy!” want to wear him it feels. “Didn't sleep last night, I swear I'm so dizzy!” I'm trying to beg.

"You go home at 3 o'clock. It's not a pity that the salary is cut!” dear dear, I just can't hold it anymore. Seeing the floor beneath me as it rose a few inches in front of my face. “Get some sleep there! We will wake up at half past two!” I followed Antonnie's advice, a senior who had worked at this gallery 2 years earlier than me.

There are no beds in the staff room. There are only 2 long sofas and a round table near the door which is usually used for mokbang lunches by employees, aka lunch if they don't have money to go to the cafeteria. I went to the locker room, reminded of the old mattress in the locker. I immediately took it and used it to sleep.

...----------------------------...

After a few minutes of sleep, someone woke me up. My feet were tapped hard enough and his voice sounded so panicked. “Kris.. get up!! gosh the kebo didn't wake up!!” I'm trying to get up. My heart is still beating very strong. “The boss is coming, hurry down! do you want to be fired?!”

“What?!” Startled. I fell because I slipped on the mat. Antonnie took my hand and I staggered behind him. Trained with my life that is still half left. I panicked half to death, when I saw all the employees lined up neatly near the gallery entrance. “You're too late to wake him up!” I blame Antoninne, It seems like he didn't wake me up earlier on purpose.

“Not thank you instead angry. I should have asked the boss to see you while you were sleeping!” He ended up getting mad at me.

I stood at the very end of the row and Antonnie was in another line across from me. My heart beats so strong, banging asking to jump from its place. An Audi pulled up to the gallery door. A man wearing a complete black suit immediately opened the back door of the car. This is my first time seeing the owner of this place. 7 months I worked in the gallery, I never once met him. I only know from magazines or talk shows about successful young businessmen. also several commercials on television that he starred. Really this is the first time I will know an only son Lazuardy directly Nikolai Anderson Lazuardy.

‘ Is it really him? ’ A young man with a tall, well-built body. Her smile and expression were so cold and stiff, very different from what I saw in the magazine. Pale white skin like snow with thin lips as red as blood and slightly black eye bags. The person looked at every employee in the left row where Antonnie was. I saw Ilyas who was bent over with trembling legs. ‘Terrifying! ’ Ilyas has worked for 3 years in this gallery. Not in a cage the effects would be that dire to him.

“Are you a new employee?”

A voice so foreign, sounded heavy and intimidating. My view immediately shifted, from looking at Ilyas who was scared to a pair of dark onyx who were staring at me intently. “Y...y..yes,” My voice is like a choke in my throat. I looked down, scared. Even just to lift your head and look at it.

“Are you comfortable here?”

Surprised when I heard this question. I saw a pair of black shoes approaching me, it reflexively made me step back. The atmosphere suddenly became silent. The temperature in the surroundings seemed to drop suddenly. “Sorry!” The cold glass door touched my body. There's nowhere for me to run, I'm cornered. I had to look up, staring at a smile that led to a grin on the blood red lips of the man in front of me. In stark contrast to her pale white skin.

“I hope you can feel at home here!” I was unable to answer, something seemed to make my breath stop for a moment. It hurts, just to breathe my chest feels heavy. Coupled with a pair of dark onyx that looks at me as sharp as the eyes of a hawk. The fear seemed to tug at my body sinking deep into the cold dark ocean.

When I realized and began to be able to control my fear, the sound of shoe soles hitting the marble floor faded away. Slowly, slowly until it finally disappears.

I sat limp where I stood. Sweat filled my whole body. I held my chest which ached because my heart was beating so hard. “Kris, are you okay?” A cleaning service employee helped me up. “Get him a drink!” He asked his friend to get me a glass of water. “Wait, yes. The boss isn't that scary. He is super kind and caring gentle man!” I ignore those words, My heart is beating fast and my chest still hurts.

“Thanks” When a cleaning service employee handed me a glass of water, I immediately drank it until it ran out. I turned my head, saw another employee leave following Mr. Nikolai to the main hall.

“Calm yourself first. Neutral is your breath, just following another!”

What the cleaning service officer said is true. My legs are also still very weak, even just to stand. I catch my breath, trying to get up and catch up with my friends.

...----------------------------...

‘ Cold! why is this room so cold? ’. I looked out the window, where red maples were starting to fall. Hovering week in the air then fell to the ground. “Fall! you are pathetic just like me,”

“Last summer's visitors increased by 20%, my estimate was probably only 17% at the most. It seems that visitors are discovering a new charm of this place!” Mr. Nikolai pays attention to the brass iron crafts in the form of bonsai which are displayed in a row not far from him. A cherry tree of 10 meter tall Brass twine grows twining around the pillars of the hall Somei Yoshino. The small branches of the cherry tree spread out and almost filled the room. The details of the leaves and cherry blossoms are made in neat shapes. Even the indentation of each twig is made as detailed as possible. Attractive and beautiful. “keep it up. I hope a lot from you!” Mr Nikolai's message to us.

Mr. Aidin, the head and caretaker of this gallery, who came with Mr. Nikolai, bowed so politely. The 50 year old man seems so loyal to his boss. “Thank you very much for the compliment sir. We will continue to try to maintain this place so that in the future it can attract more visitors. This place is master's relic Lazuardy most unfortunately, I will take care of it as best I can!”

A chuckle could be heard from Lazuardy young. “Yes, I initially thought exactly this was trash. I almost sold it. Thank you for your advice then, I didn't know this place would turn out to be so precious!”.

‘ What? is this place for sale?! is he crazy?! ’ This art gallery is my dream since childhood. I am amazed at every work of art that is here. I think sir Lazuardy have a very good taste in art. ‘ How could he do that?! ’ I grumbled to myself, wanting to be angry but afraid of being fired.

I looked out the window again, looking at the maples outside that were falling to leave their black branches. Someone is looking at me, I turned my head. Seeing Mr. Nikolai who was facing towards me, our eyes met. Different from before. I'm getting used to it. I smiled and bowed to him. I'd probably be really mad at him if he sold this place, but seeing him who was very impressed with the progress we had made, I began to realize what I had to do to keep him going.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***